Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with composite materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,216,541, issued to Jang, et al. is directed to a process for producing dispersible and conductive nano-graphene platelets from non-oxidized graphitic materials. Briefly, these inventors are said to teach a process for producing nano-graphene platelets (NGPs) that are both dispersible and electrically conducting. The process is said to include: (a) preparing a pristine NGP material from a graphitic material; and (b) subjecting the pristine NGP material to an oxidation treatment to obtain the dispersible NGP material, wherein the NGP material has an oxygen content no greater than 25% by weight. The conductive NGPs are said to find applications in transparent electrodes for solar cells or flat panel displays, additives for battery and supercapacitor electrodes, conductive nanocomposite for electromagnetic wave interference (EMI) shielding and static charge dissipation.
United States Patent Publication No. 20120298620, filed by Jiang, et al., is directed to a method for making graphene composite structure. Briefly the method is said to include providing a metal substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, growing a graphene film on the first surface of the metal substrate by a CVD method, providing a polymer layer on the graphene film and combining the polymer layer with the graphene film, and forming a plurality of stripped electrodes by etching the metal substrate from the second surface.
Finally, United States Patent Publication No. 20120228555, filed by Cheng, et al., is directed to a method of making graphene. Briefly, the application is said to disclose a method for making graphene by providing a starting material and heating the starting material for a time and to a temperature effective to produce graphene. In certain embodiments the applicants are said to use starting materials that include carbonaceous materials used in conjunction with, or comprising, sulfur, and essentially free of a transition metal. The graphene produced by the current method is said to be used to coat graphene-coatable materials.